bird of the day: the glaucous macaw

the glaucous macaw is a beautiful large macaw with a striking appearance. they may appear similar to the more familiar hyacinth macaw at first glance, but they have a lighter teal color on their body, as well as some violet hues on the wings. the glaucous macaw is somewhat closely related to the hyacinth macaw, though they are closest to the lear’s macaw.

unfortunately, it’s possible the glaucous macaw is no longer alive. widely believed to be extinct, they have not been seen alive since the 1960s. while rumors persist that there are wild birds still out there, none have proved credible or have come with photographic evidence, and expeditions to the macaws’ native range haven’t turned up any survivors. it’s believed they declined due to the widespread destruction of their habitat and main food source, the yatay palm.

(image source: x)